Etched In Stone
by Sunsetwing
Summary: Bella goes trick-or-treating with her girlfriends, but can't shake the feeling she's being watched.   Halloween may just be her most eventful evening ever.


**A/N I want to first thank Breath-of-twilight, for being the hostess with the mostest, and always going above and beyond the call of duty with the whole countdown, as well has being the best beta ever! She is amazing, and if you haven't checked out her stuff, you're definitely missing out.**

**This was my one shot, and thanks to everyone who reviewed and/or read it. There is a possiblity that in the future I may try and extend this. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer is a goddess and she owns everything. No copyright infringement intended.**

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Bella had been going to visit her mother's grave every week since her passing. Today just happened to not only be a day that she would visit, but, it was also Halloween.

She would sit for hours and talk to her mom. Deep down, in her heart, she hoped that wherever her mother was, she could hear the things that Bella said. She spoke to her mom about her hopes, dreams, and the plans that she was making for the future. Today Bella spoke about her last Halloween that her and her friends would spend in Forks before they all went off to college the following year.

It was always with a heavy heart that Bella left the cemetery. It was hard enough that she had lost her mother two years before. Renee's sudden sickness took both her, and her father, Charlie, by complete surprise. She had died within a month of her confession to her family.

Bella felt lost, but was determined to put that emptiness aside so for once she could have fun tonight.

Bella and her best girlfriends had been planning on going trick or treating for months. It felt like they had all grown up too fast, which was why they were trick or treating in the first place. As Bella thought back to all the years that they had spent together, a sudden overwhelming felling of being watched came over her. So much so, that the hairs on her arms were sticking straight up. Bella stopped abruptly, and looked around at the cemetery behind her. There was nothing but head stones and the sound of the wind and the leaves as they blew between the rocky edges. As the wind blew around her, it caressed the skin on her face. It was almost as if someone was lightly skimming her cheeks with their fingertips.

As Bella walked home, she couldn't shake that eerie feeling of being watched. She paid attention for a few minutes, but all too soon, her thoughts turned back to the evening ahead.

Rose, Angela, and Alice had been Bella's best friends since they were the tender age of four. They had endured school together since kindergarten, and now, as seniors, they would be apart for the first time in their young lives.

Halloween had always been one of the girls most favorite holidays. Alice was always in charge of costume choice, and the girls always followed a theme. This year, they were going to be insects. Bella was going to be a bumble bee, Rose a lady bug, and both Angela and Alice would be butterflies.

The plan was for them to all meet at Bella's house at seven o'clock, where they would all get dressed together. Bella was always happy that they decided to do that, since she was not very proficient in the art of hair or makeup.

Alice arrived first; she always arrived first.

"So, Bella, what did you do today?" Alice asked.

"I visited my mom, and hung around here. Nothing much." Bella didn't know why, but she didn't want to tell Alice about the creepy feeling she had in the cemetery. Alice didn't like the amount of time that Bella spent there. It would just be one more reason that Alice would pester Bella with for spending so much time with the dead. Alice wasn't opposed to Bella visiting her mother, just the fact that Bella could spend hours there. Alice worried that her friend wouldn't be able to move past Renee's death. Tonight was one more night to keep Bella occupied before she would finally leave town for college. All the girls though that some distance from here would finally bring Bella some peace, at least they hoped.

"What did you do, Alice?" Bella questioned, trying to divert the subject away from her.

"Just ran errands… you know, finishing touches for our ensembles," Alice said with a smirk.

"When am I going to get to see my costume?" This was another thing that Alice did every year. She would withhold the costumes until just after all the girls arrived at Bella's. The only consolation was that they would all be in the same boat. Each costume would be similar, and at least Alice had good taste. Otherwise, the girls would never have agreed to let Alice do the choosing year after year.

"You know the rules, Bella. You have to wait until Rose and Angela get here. So quit asking me," she said with a smirk.

"Fine."

Alice and Bella talked for awhile about school and boys. After trick or treating, all the girls were supposed to be heading over to Emmett McCarty's house. Rose had been dating him for a few months and he was throwing a huge Halloween party. Alice was excited because Emmett's best friend, Jasper Whitlock, would be there as well. Alice had been crushing on him since freshman year, and she felt like tonight would be the night that she would finally approach him.

At seven o'clock on the dot, Rosalie and Angela walked into Bella's room.

"Hello, lovies, what's shakin'?" Rosalie asked, as she sauntered through the door.

"Not much," Alice replied. "Now that we're all here, are we ready to see our costumes." The girls were all anxious as Alice moved to a large black bag hung on the back of Bella's door.

Alice slowly unzipped the bag revealing four brightly colored, very small costumes.

"Alice, what size did you buy? These look like they'd fit a child," Bella gasped.

"Oh lighten up there, Bella Bee. I just thought we could highlight the assets and show some leg. Don't be such a prude." Alice was always forcing Bella into some uncomfortable outfit every time they went out. Bella should have expected it, but it never failed to catch her off guard.

"Honestly, Bella, you need to lighten up. You're hot. We just want to show you off," Rose smirked.

Bella decided that it was best not to argue; she wouldn't win anyway. She also didn't want to disappoint her friends. Alice had spent too much time on this night, and at all cost, Bella would have a good time.

Once all the girls were dressed and ready to go, Alice set the timer on her camera, placing it on the mantle so it had the best vantage point to take their picture.

As soon as the girl's exited Bella's house, the feeling of being watched overwhelmed Bella's senses, again. As they walked, Bella kept turning around to see if they were being followed, continually finding nothing there.

"Is everything okay, Bella Bee?" Rosalie asked as she sidled up to Bella. Bella had been lost in her own paranoia, hanging back behind the rest of the group, trying to take in all of her surroundings.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just been a long day, and it's kinda chilly out tonight," Bella said, involuntarily shivering, not because of the cold, but because the strange feelings coursing through her. None of the girl's were wearing coats. Alice said that they wouldn't be outside trick-or-treating for long and that once they were at Emmett's party it would definitely be too warm. Plus, Alice didn't want to obscure the view of their overtly sexual insect costumes. She would never admit it, but Alice loved to show off. She didn't have to be the center of attention, but she definitely enjoyed attention. Dressing both herself and her friends this way would guarantee a significant amount of attention.

The girl's managed to hit up every house on Bella's block, and then moved to some of the more popular, well lit streets in town. Slowly, but surely, they were making their way to Emmett's house.

The streets were crowded with kids and their parents. Squeals and screams soared through the air, making an eerie soundtrack for the evening. They saw so many people that they had known all of their lives. This was another reason that they wanted to trick-or -treat. It was a way to see as many people as possible, that they normally may not come in contact with on a regular basis. It was a way to say good-bye.

Bella hadn't realized how her life had been so defined by this town and the people in it, not just by her immediate family and close friends. It made her extremely sad at the prospect of moving on in her life. She was comfortable, and really wasn't fond of change. She took comfort in the repetitive nature of her life.

Nearing the last houses they would visit before they headed to Emmett's, Bella started acting strangely enough that the other girl's were definitely noticing now.

"Bella what's up? Are you cold or is there something else going on?" Alice had also noticed Bella's strange behavior, commenting on it several times to Angela during the night.

"Nothing… I don't really feel well. I think after we're finished, I'm just going to head home." Bella just wanted to get out of the street and head home, where she felt safe.

"Ahhh, come on, Bell. Come with us to Emmett's… please?" They all whined at once.

"Really, guys. I think I just want to go home. I just haven't felt right all day, and I really just want to curl up and go to sleep." Bella just hadn't been able to shrug the feeling that someone was now not only watching her, but following her as well. She was making herself sick thinking about it. As soon as a locked door was behind her, she could put this whole evening behind her.

Alice and Rosalie put up a small fight, but Angela cut in, "Bella, do promise to call Alice's cell when you get home?" Angela threw Alice and Rosalie a dirty look. She had been friends with Bella long enough to know that she was easily steam rolled by her friends, sometimes just going along with the group to avoid confrontation. Bella quickly shot a thankful glance at Angela.

"In fact, girl's, I think I'm just going to go ahead and go now." Bella looked at her friends, the disappointment clear on two of their faces.

"Do you promise to call as soon as you walk in the front door?" Alice asked.

"Of course, it's the first thing I'll do when I walk in the front door. I won't even put my bag down," Bella said sarcastically.

Bella hugged her friend's good bye, and then turned and headed back in the direction of her house.

The streets had started to darken, especially after most of the crowds were safely tucked away in their houses. The wind had picked up, and Bella was now not only shaking from fear, but from the biting wind that cut right through her skimpy costume.

When she turned the corner onto her street, she swore that she could hear footsteps behind her. Her legs moved faster with every step she took, before she broke out in a dead run, in heels, trying to get away from this unseen threat.

Her breath was coming faster as she managed to not break her neck in her high shoes. Her focus was on getting home without breaking her neck, but she was also clearly aware of why she was running.

"Beelllaaaaa," a voice carried through the wind, which was now gusting.

Bella panicked and ran faster. She could see her house coming into view, and she was only six houses away from locking herself away from her fears. She was counting the houses as she passed each one, and when she was just two houses away, the unthinkable happened. The heel on her right shoe snapped completely off, causing her to lurch to the side, twisting her ankle.

Bella was terrified beyond words. She quickly righted herself and limped as fast a she could the rest of the way.

Once she had dragged herself up the front porch steps, she lunged for the door handle, slipping her key in and ducking inside.

Bella stood against the inside of the door, her heart pounding in her throat, and her ankle throbbing in pain. She stayed there a few minutes just trying to catch her breath, realizing that she was home and hadn't immediately call Alice.

Limping towards the phone in the kitchen, she dialed Alice's number. When she answered the call, Bella could hear the party in full swing in the back ground.

"Hello," Alice hollered in the phone.

"Alice… can you hear me?" Bella yelled into the receiver.

"Yeah… I can hear you. Just barely, though. Are you home?"

"Yeah, I'm home. I just wanted to let you know. Call me tomorrow, okay?" Bella asked, wondering what would transpire between Alice and Jasper at the party. She knew that Alice would need to gush in the morning.

"Okay, I'll talk to your tomorrow. Feel better, Bella Bee. We love you."

"Yeah, I love you guys, too." Alice disconnected and Bella hung up the receiver, slumping against the wall. She was suddenly so tired that all she wanted to do was to lie down.

As Bella turned around, she immediately came face to face with a very tall man. His features were shadowed in the darkness of the house, but still prominently displayed. He stepped toward her, into the moonlight that shone through the kitchen windows. He was the most devastatingly handsome man that she had ever seen, but her terror overrode all of her other emotions.

"Wh-wh-what are you doing here? Wh-who are you?" she asked, quivering in fear.

"Don't be afraid of me, Bella. I promise. I would never hurt you." His voice was smooth and a deep baritone. There was something in the inflection that started to put her at ease, against her better judgment.

"What do you want, and h-how do you know my name?" Bella stuttered, yet she was still slightly intrigued. That didn't change the fact that she was still absolutely terrified beyond all reason.

She started to back away from him, but he slowly inched his way closer into her personal space. Once she was backed against the counter, he still advanced slowly. When he was just a few inches from her, his fingers came up and slowly swept down the side of her face, caressing her cheek in his palm.

His skin was cold, but wasn't uncomfortable against her skin. His touch was almost familiar, like the wind that hand blown through the cemetery that very morning.

Bella would not make eye contact and tried not to flinch away from his touch, even though her body was shaking from fear. A sense of calm fell over her, and she glance up into his eyes to find emerald orbs gazing back at her.

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," the man said. Bella wondered who this man was, and as if he could read her mind he answered her. "My name is Edward… Edward Cullen."

Bella swore that she had heard the name before. Maybe she had read it in the paper or seen it written somewhere, but it was definitely vaguely familiar. His name fell from her lips in a whisper, and Edward's return smile sent her blood wildly pumping through her veins. She had never seen a man as gorgeous as this. Granted, she was still in high school, but men like this didn't go breaking into girl's houses, they graced the pages of magazines.

Maybe it was his close proximity, or the scent of his person lingering in the air, but Bella could feel her defenses starting to weaken. She knew that she should be afraid, but there was something behind his eyes that told her to trust him. The fact that she was going to be alone in her house until the morning crossed her mind. Charlie would be out patrolling because of the Halloween festivities, so there wasn't any chance that anyone would even know she wasn't alone.

Edward smiled down at her, "Just trust me, Bella. I promise. I just want to spend tonight with you. Will you let me do that?"

She could hear the pleading undertone of his voice, and that broke down the last of her defenses. His hand was still against her cheek, and she reached up and took it in her own. As she started to walk, a sharp pain shot through her ankle, and she remembered falling before she got in the house.

Edward in the same moment could feel Bella wince, and realized that she had hurt herself. He swept her up in his arms and started toward the stairs. Bella wasn't sure how he knew where he was going, but being in his arms was the greatest sensation that she had ever experienced.

As Edward ascended the stairs, he kept looking down at Bella, and in turn, Bella was gazing up at him.

They came through the doorway to her bedroom, and he gently set her down on the floor.

"Thank you," was all that Bella could mutter. She had never been alone in a room with a boy before, and she was extremely nervous, especially when she realized what she was wearing.

"Oh… um… my friends and I went out trick-or-treating tonight," Bella explained, but Edward only chuckled.

"I know," was all that he replied.

"But how did you… it was you? You were the one following us tonight, weren't you?" she asked.

"Yes, but if you'll let me explain… I just wanted to be near you, Bella. This is my only opportunity; I just can't wait any longer." With his last statement Edward pulled Bella into his arms, and his mouth descended on hers.

For now, there were no words left to say, as Edward released her mouth, working his way down her neck. Bella ran her fingers through his messy hair, and it felt like silk between her fingers. In her mind, Bella kept telling herself that this wasn't happening, but Edward felt so perfect against her body, she knew it must be real.

Edward's hands came around to the back of Bella's costume, and he slowly slid the zipper down, sliding the sleeves down her arms. Once the costume was discarded, Bella watched as Edward stepped out of his clothes. They were both so pale in the moonlight, and Bella could feel Edward's gaze burning her skin.

"You have no idea how long I've waited to be with you," Edward said. This confused Bella, and she had no idea what he could have meant.

Edward closed the distance between them again, slowly lowering Bella down on her twin bed. Bella was shivering still, but this time it was with anxiety and trepidation.

"What's wrong, Bella. Are you cold?"

"No…I haven't ever done this before. I don't know you, and I'm just scared."

"What can I do to make this easier for you?" Edward was concerned. This was his one chance, and he didn't want anything coming between him and his whole reason for being alive in this moment.

Bella didn't want to lose her nerve, and she had made it this far. Without answering his last question, she was the one to close the distance between them, this time. He lay next to her on her too small bed, and she easily ran her hand up and down his back.

Edward's eyes never wavered from Bella's as she moved closer to place kisses on his face. When their eyes locked, it was as if the whole world fell away, and there was nothing left but the two of them.

Edward rolled toward Bella, pushing her onto her back, and settling himself between her legs. Edward couldn't get enough of her warmth. He was always surrounded by cold, and this was just one more thing that he would savor while he could.

Ever so slowly, Edward gently eased himself inside Bella. Her breathing had picked up, and he could feel her nervousness.

"Please, Bella. You have to relax. I promise, I will do everything I can to make this easier on you. The last thing I would ever want to do would be to hurt you in any way." Bella looked up at him, and a small smile graced her lips. Edward wasn't sure why he had been given the opportunity to be here with Bella, but in that moment, it was all worth everything to him, no matter how limited their time.

Pushing further, he could feel her barrier give way. He held himself still, but when he finally felt her sigh, her body relax; he slowly, methodically began to find a slow rhythm of push and pull.

Bella gasped, not realizing that it would start to feel good so soon after the hurt that came with losing her virginity. She new that the good feelings were not just what he was doing, but Edward himself; their connection was undeniable. She felt wrong doing this with someone she not only didn't know, but someone who had apparently been stalking her, for all intents and purposes. But when it came down to it, to right outweighed the wrong. This was the one of the most important events in Bella's life, and she couldn't imagine giving herself to anyone but Edward.

His thrusts were coming faster, and Bella lost all train of thought, giving herself over completely to the pleasure of the moment. Edward's hands were on her face, running the length of her sides, caressing her breasts. Bella had never had such a sensory overload, totally caught up in the way this beautiful man was making her feel.

Bella could feel herself breaking apart at the seams. Fireworks felt like they as were exploding in her body, and she was gripping onto Edward's shoulders like her life depended on it. At the same time, Edward was drawing closer to his release, and when Bella's orgasm hit, he was sent into a plethora of pleasure.

After they had both come down from their intense coupling, Bella had so many questions that she wanted answers to.

"Will you tell me how you know me?"

"I've seen you at the cemetery… every time you visit. I couldn't ever approach you before."

"So then why break into my house? Why not just approach me there?"

"Bella, I know that you have questions, but my time is very limited… I just don't want to waste a second of my time with you. This moment… it is so precious to me, Bella. It won't be afforded to me again. Just know… I chose you, Bella."

She wasn't sure what he meant, but she would definitely not waste a second.

Throughout the night, Bella and Edward came together with touches and kisses, bonding over their worship of each other. Exhausted and sated, Bella slipped into a completely restful state. As she was about to slip completely into a deep sleep, she felt Edward tense.

"Know this, Bella. I have loved you, and only you, that's why I'm here. My only chance… I love you," Edward whispered softly in her hair.

The next morning, Bella awoke to an empty bed. There was no note, and no indication that Edward had been there, at all. Maybe it had been a dream, she thought, but it had been so real that she could still smell him in the air.

Bella wrapped her injured ankle, after nearly falling down when she stepped out of bed. Getting ready, she felt the need to go see her mother. Last night was an experience that Bella would never forget, but at the same time, she felt like she would also never be able to share it with anyone. Not even her best friends. No one would believe her, anyway.

Bella parked her car, and entered the cemetery on its winding pathway. Passing headstone after headstone, she thought about _her_ Edward, wondering where he could be at this very moment, and what he was doing. Bella reached her mothers grave and sat down on the grass in front of her headstone. She had never particularly paid attention to the gravesites that bordered her mothers. To the left was the empty plot, where her father would be laid to rest when his time was up. Next to that was old Mr. Simmons. He had passed away last spring, and had finally joined his wife in the eternal resting place.

Bella looked to the right and noticed a headstone that was weathered and hard to read. She crawled towards it, for a closer look, wiping away the dirt and leaves.

Bella's breathe caught in her throat as she read the name etched on the headstone:

_**Edward Anthony Cullen**_

_**1966 – 1983**_

_**Rest In Peace**_

_**Beloved Son and Brother**_


End file.
